Dodgers on the verge of hiring Johnson

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Davey Johnson, who has specialized in turning teams around as a manager, apparently will get such an opportunity with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Johnson, 55, met with Dodgers president Bob Graziano and general manager Kevin Malone on Thursday night about the team's vacant managerial job that was his for the taking.

"Bob and I are meeting with Davey tonight. We're hoping that we can get to a position where we can move forward," Malone told The Associated Press. "Bob wants to spend some time with Davey. We just want to see if we can bring this to a conclusion."

Malone said he wouldn't comment further Thursday night.

A news conference could be held to introduce Johnson as early as Friday, assuming the parties finalize contract terms. Sources close to the situation said the team was confident Johnson would be its next manager.

Johnson and Kevin Kennedy interviewed for the job with Malone last weekend in New York, where the first two games of the World Series were played.

Johnson has managed the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, and all showed improvement after he took over.

The Dodgers, 83-79 and third in the NL West this past season, hope that trend continues. Los Angeles qualified for the playoffs in 1995 and 1996, and was eliminated from contention on the final weekend of the 1997 season.

The Mets, 65-97 and 68-94 in the two years before Johnson was hired, had a 90-72 record in 1984 - his first year there. They won 90 or more games five times in his six full years on the job, and had an overall record of 595-417 under Johnson before he was fired early in the 1990 campaign.

The Reds were 53-65 after Johnson replaced Tony Perez early in the 1993 season, but 66-48 in the strike-shortened 1994 season and 85-59 in 1995, when they won the NL Central Division title.

Johnson was fired after the Reds lost in the NL Championship Series. They swept the Dodgers in three games in the opening round of the playoffs.

The Orioles had a 71-73 record in 1995, but were 88-74 under Johnson the following year, and 98-64 and AL East champions in 1997, after which Johnson left following disagreements with team owner Peter Angelos.

Malone was Baltimore's assistant general manager during the years Johnson managed the Orioles.

Johnson, whose career record is 985-727, was out of baseball this year.

In 10 full seasons, teams managed by Johnson won four division titles and never finished lower than second. His .575 winning percentage ranks 11th all-time among managers with 1,000 or more games, and he has a higher winning percentage than any active manager.

Should Johnson be hired, he would be only the fifth manager during the Dodgers' 40 years in Los Angeles, but the third this year.